MUMBAI: The stage is set for the biggest terror trial to begin in a special courtroom inside the high-security Arthur Road Jail from Wednesday. After a month's delay-the time taken to construct a bomb-proof courtroom for Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving 26/11 terrorist-will be physically produced before judge M L Tahaliyani for the first time. Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam will open the arguments for the state. (Watch)At hand will be hundreds of media personnel, who have been put through weeks of security checks to verify their credentials, to cover every minute of the trial.

The police are not taking any chances and the area around the jail has been scoured for any suspicious characters. No vehicles will be allowed in the area.

Wednesday will also be the day when Kasab meets his lawyer, Anjali Waghmare, for the first time and discusses the contents of his chargesheet. If he enters a not-guilty plea, then the trial will begin in earnest.

Minister of state for home, Arif Naseem Khan, on Tuesday assured a safe trial for Kasab. Khan, who visited the jail and discussed the security with the jail authorities, said all arrangements were in place for a fair and safe trial. "This is a sensitive case and we have made all possible arrangements. Kasab has been given a lawyer and the trial will begin,'' said Khan, adding that the security arrangements had been made in such a way that there was no inconvenience to locals.

Residents of Shanti Nagar slum and the dhobi-ghat near the jail, where Kasab has been kept, have been issued identity cards. "This is to ensure safety for everyone. If the residents have to use the lane or bylanes near the jail while the trial is on, they will have to display the ID when demanded by the security personnel,'' said an officer. The jail personnel who stay in the nearby police lines have also been issued IDs by the N M Joshi Marg police station.

Over a dozen cameras have been installed in and around the cell where Kasab has been kept. ITBP jawans have also been posted inside the jail.

Kasab, whose full name is Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman, has not been seen in public since his arrest on November 26 last year, soon after 10 gunmen began an assault that left more than 180 people dead and over 300 others injured.

The 21-year-old Pakistani national, said to belong to the banned Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), faces a string of charges including "waging war" on India, murder, attempted murder and kidnapping.

He faces the death penalty if convicted.

The courtroom, last used to try suspects over the deadly 1993 bomb blasts in the city, has been reinforced, while a bomb-proof tunnel has reportedly been built from Iman's cell after he received death threats.

Traffic will be banned from around the prison for the duration of the trial, which is estimated to last up to six months and may hear testimony from as many as 2,000 witnesses.

The defendant, the nine dead gunmen and 35 other LeT "terrorists" wanted over the attacks carried out a "heinous criminal conspiracy" against the city and people of Mumbai and India, according to the chargesheet.

"This was with the express intention to destabilise India, wage war against the country, terrorise its citizens, create financial loss and issue a warning to other countries," it added.

Two other men are also on trial. Indian nationals Fahim Ansari, 35, and Sabauddin Ahmed, 24, are accused of providing the group with logistical support before the attacks.

Prosecutors say they have evidence that "undoubtedly and conclusively" links the attacks to India's arch-rival Pakistan, including mobile and satellite phone communication between the gunmen and their LeT "handlers."

Kasab���s DNA and fingerprints were found on items retrieved from the hijacked Indian fishing trawler the gunmen used to get to the Mumbai coast, it is alleged.

There is CCTV and other footage of him at Mumbai's main railway station, where more than 50 people died after two gunmen opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles and threw grenades.

Thirty eyewitnesses also picked him out in identification parades, it added.

The trial is taking place at Mumbai's Arthur Road jail before a single judge without a jury because of security fears. All pre-trial hearings have been held either behind closed doors or via video link. The judge has been provided Z security while prosecutor has Z plus security cover. Defence lawyer Anjali Waghmare, appointed by the court, has also been given Z security which comprises four armed security guards.

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